Customer Reviews

Skallagrigg

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I have always been a prolific reader and sometimes have as many as five books on the go at any one time, picking up the one which most suits my mood.

This book is absolutely brilliant and so beautifully touches the emotions of the reader. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I cried often and long and deep.

It is clear that William Horwood has been close to cerebal palsy and I found out, after I had read Skallagrigg, that his daughter, Rachel, does suffer from this condition.

The central figures are Arthur, a sufferer from the early part of the twentieth century, and Esther, a sufferer from the latter part of the same century. It explores the massive differences between the ways that they were perceived and the ways that they were treated because of those perceptions.

Esther embarks on a quest to find Skallagrigg, without knowing what it is, and you must read the book to find out if she succeeds and what it means.

The reader is drawn into the characters and I found myself living the rollercoaster emotional existance of both of them.

I am constantly recommending this book to friends and family. Many of them find it difficult to get into the story but I encourage them to persevere. Whilst I can understand their difficulty, I had no trouble whatsoever and was captured from the first paragraph.

If you are only ever going to read one more book in your life, it would have to be this one and no other. Trust me!

I read Skallagrigg along with other of Horwood's books while living in England. Skallagrigg has a terrible beauty to it; A girl with cerebral palsy creates the most popular computer game ever played and the book follows her life along with her father and grandparents as they struggle to raise her within a society only beginning to recognize that people with cerebral palsey have intelligence. Follow her joys and sorrows as she and her best friend Tom (who has Down's Syndrome) engage in all phases of growing up. This is one of the best books I have ever read and it gives the reader an inside view of a brilliant mind trapped inside of a disabled body. It hides nothing, spares nothing.

I first read "Skallagrigg" in 1988 and believe that it is the finest novel by an author I consider to be the greatest english writer of the latter part of the twentieth century.It is the ultimate "quest" novel: not only does it tell the immensely moving story of Esther's inspired search for the abandoned Arthur, but at a deeper psychological and spiritual level it also challenges us to search for the meaning and identity of the Skallgrigg for ourselves. Although it moved me to tears, its celebration of the redemptive power of love was matched by an unflinching recognition of the appalling way we have until very recently in this country (and sadly still elsewhere) treated those who suffer from disabilities like Esther's and Arthur's.A treatment so vividly expressed in the evil and everlooming presence of the character, Dilke. I have given almost 50 copies of this wonderful book to friends and only two have failed to contact me to convey their joy at reading it.The film which was made of it could not sadly begin to penetrate the depths to which Horwood's imagination compels us.

I was living in a foreign country when the discovered the book "Skallagrigg", written by William Horwood. On the average I read a book a week, and I am 65 years old. To this day Skallagrigg is the best book I have ever read. Maybe in time Horwood will receive the honor due his writing. The book is difficult/up-setting/sad at time, but worth every tear! Before the internet I had a difficult finding and ordering his books. Thank you internet.

This book is on my top ten lifetime books. It's like a video game in a book: a girl sees clues in a game that ultimately lead to real-life situations and the rescue of a real person in need. The characters are beautifully painted and you can't help but be drawn into the story. This book is for those who enjoy video games, mysteries, the rescue of others (such as the disabled person in the story), and historical information about the "asylums" of older Britain. A compassionate, wonderful book. Especially recommended to anyone who knows or works with persons with disabilities.

There are books that make us laugh; there are books that make us cry. There are books we read to be informed or enlightened. There are books that cause our imaginations to soar and let us explore unknown adventurelands. There are books that make us better people just by the reading of them. Very rarely we find a book that incorporates all of the above between its two covers and I found that with "Skallagrigg".

I don't remember how I first heard about this book but I will be eternally grateful that I did. It affected me more than any other book I've ever read. I have started tracking down copies to send to people closest to me so they won't miss the experience of reading it.

I'm not going to say much about what the book is about - I think every reader should make that journey themselves. Just know that the journey is worthwhile, exciting, touching and will stay with you for a very long time, if not forever.

An Amazon.com review of Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind referred to another novel with a similar theme, William Horwood's Skallagrigg. Following the lives of Arthur and Esther, who both have cerebral palsy, Horwood delves into not only the communication challenge, but the culture of the disabled and the changing role of institutionalization in the 20th century. Arthur, in the early part of the 20th century, is institutionalized as a boy. He begins to tell stories of the Skallagrigg to his friends, and the legends grow, passed along from one institution to another. Esther, in the latter part of the century, hears bits and pieces of these stories, begins to compile them, and incorporates them into a video game which becomes a world-wide hit. Her whole life turns into a quest to find the Skallagrigg.

Without getting too much into or giving away the story, several elements are worth noting. First, the system of institutionalization of the disabled in England. Arthur, institutionalized most of his life, suffered terrible abuse by those charged with caring for him. With no means to communicate, and inadequate supervision, the abuse continues for years. Although not the main purpose of the book, Horwood's depiction of the institutions and the changes and reforms over the course of the story make me glad for more humane and enlightened treatment of others.

Second, Horwood describes a subculture of the disabled that I never thought about. With limited ability to communicate with others, people with C.P. communicate with a combination of speaking (as they are able), gestures, sounds, and eye movements. I love the way the characters manage to communicate on a different plane from the rest of us, and create a unique community and relationships that others are only dimly aware of, if at all.

Finally, Horwood traces the development of assistive technology for disabled persons. Esther's father, a high-tech executive who got into the field early on, directs the resources of his computer company to develop specialized keyboards and devices to help Esther and others communicate like never before. Of course we all think of the brilliant Stephen Hawking and shudder to think of how different his life would have been had he been born a few years earlier. But even non-genius but perfectly intelligent people benefit from the efforts of the non-fiction counterparts of Esther's dad. Like Melody in Out of My Mind, Esther's life is completely changed by the simple ability to type.

Besides being a story that brings insight into the life experiences of people with cerebral palsy and the improvements that have come in treatment and communication, Skallagrigg is a thoroughly enjoyable story of a young woman's quest. It doesn't pack the emotional punch of Out of My Mind, primarily because it's a densely told, intricately plotted novel of over 700 pages, versus OOMM's 300 pages, written for a younger readers. But with the additional length comes a more satisfying and substantial read.

I highly recommend Skallagrigg for anyone who comes into contact with people with cerebral palsy or other disabilities. It's guaranteed to broaden your view of people with disabilities. Besides that, though, it is a beautiful story, beautifully written.

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